Find your local entrepreneur group

Your business can't survive alone. You can greatly improve your chances by networking with other entrepreneurs. My hometown of Alva, Oklahoma, is working on this, with Fast Forward Fridays.

Alva Area Chamber of Commerce Director Alexandra Mantz explained, "We hope to bring budding entrepreneurs in the region together to talk and find resources that will help them get started."

That's exactly the right reason for small town entrepreneurs to attend these kind of networking events: to make local connection, to share resources, to succeed. 

The coalition of groups working on this event are Oklahoma's Partners for Progress, including:

• Alva Area Chamber of Commerce
• Woods County Economic Development Committee
• Northwest Oklahoma Alliance
• Northwestern Oklahoma State University
• Northwest Technology Center
• Rural Enterprises, Inc. 
• Oklahoma Department of Commerce Business Solutions
  

This is not their first event. Earlier in the year, they hosted a couple of great workshops.

What are the entrepreneur events in your area? Are you participating?

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High Tech OKC OpenBeta Conference

Derrick Parkhurst (Thirty Sixth Span) is organizing a cool high tech event in Oklahoma City, the OpenBeta Conference.

OpenBeta is for technology professionals, entrepreneurs, enthusiasts, and investors based in central Oklahoma who are interested in:

Online Technologies | Web 2.0 | Social Media | Entrepreneurism | Business Startups | Social Networking | Viral Marketing | Blogging | Podcasting | Crowd Sourcing | Web Design | Software Development | Internet Activism | Information Security and Privacy

The goal,  "exposing ideas and creating opportunities by connecting smart, passionate and motivated people with different talents," is classic networking among entrepreneurs. Love it!

This will be on October 30th, from 7-10pm at the IAO Gallery in Oklahoma City. They will start with a tech demo session, where community members will setup laptops and show off their innovative projects. Then the main session of the event will focus on lightning fast presentations given by community members on their innovative ideas and projects.

Maybe I should sign up to do a lightning presentation on social media, or maybe the checklist for starting a business. Hmmm....

Highlight Midwest sounds similar, for the Kansas City area, October 29. Thanks to Grant Griffiths for pointing it out to me.

What are the similar events in your area? Have you been to one like this? What was the best take-away?

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BlogWorld Expo: Des Walsh

Des Walsh is a cool guy. His business card says business coach and blogging evangelist. But really, he's a small town guy.

He and I bonded over our shared view that technology allows you to live where you like. He told me his post office sotry. A friend of Des, who is a business coach, was talking with her client, who had moved from the city to set up her business in the small town. She was in a hurry one morning, and frustrated that the post office clerk insisted on chatting with each customer! The coach reminded her, why is it that you moved here? "we liked the slower pace ... oh, yeah."

Yeah. That's what it's about. Live where you want.

Find out more about Des at www.deswalsh.com and www.thinkinghomebusiness.com. He said he always has to explain why he chose that name, Thinking Home Business. It's not get rich quick on the internet businesses. It's about professionals who use the technology tools to work from home. 

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Talking business at BlogWorld Expo

This weekend, I'm talking business at BlogWorld Expo. If you're there, too, come say hi!

Together with David Bullock and Shama Hyder, I'll be talking about how to streamline business planning for real people.

How do you do that? Well, first you need to figure out your business. Then you'll need to figure out your revenue goals. Make it through those two exercises, and you'll vastly increase your odds of success.

If you're interested in a bit more detail, I have a three part series on simplified planning:

1. Simplified Business Plans for the Real World
2. Simplified Marketing Plans for the Real World
3. Apply the Simplified Marketing Plan to Online Tools
   

Still hungry for business info? Read the whole Small Biz 100 series. It's a series (in progress) of 100 practical hands-on posts for small business people and solo entrepreneurs, whether in a small town, the big city, or in between. If you have questions you'd like us to address in this series, leave a comment or send us an email at becky@smallbizsurvival.com.


Hope you have as much fun this weekend as I'm going to! 

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So, You Want to Start a Farmer's Market?

One of our readers left us a comment, with this question, "I live in a small town and I would love to start a community Farmer's Market that would be on the line of a 'Flea Market'. Where do I start?"

Great question! Here are some ideas to get you going.

First you need to decide whether you want a Farmer's Market or a Flea Market. They are not necessarily the same thing. Although, they may each have features of the other.

Try your County Extension Agent for ideas on the Farmer's Market. The Agent may be willing to work with you and can run interference with local authorities. Then try to learn who in your area is actually growing more produce than needed or who is willing to. Maybe there is a garden club devoted to vegetable growers. On second thought, fresh flowers would be a very nice addition to a Farmer's Market.

For a Flea Market, once again, you will need to find who is already doing this sort of thing. Maybe a geographic search for your town or county on one of the auction sites might tell you who has "stuff" they are wanting to sell in your area. They might be interested in a "show."

For either type, you will need to ORGANIZE.

• Find a location; map out each site; 
• decide how much rent to charge for each site; 
• determine the local laws regarding your location; 
• check your liability for accidents or incidents; get insurance if necessary; 
• pick a date;  
• advertise; advertise; advertise; 
• if your location is outside, find a "rain" location (do everything again for the optional site); 
• advertise; advertise; advertise; 
• keep good records of which seller will be where and double check their understanding of the agreement between you and the seller; 
• advertise; advertise; advertise.  

This is just a start.
Good luck.

[Farmer's Market in Frankfurt, Germany, photo by Becky McCray.]

Our checklist is on the SXSW Panel Picker

Remember our cool Checklists for Starting Your First Business? Well, I thought it was cool enough to submit for a SXSW panel. Liz Strauss has agreed to co-present along with me, but first... we have to survive the Panel Picker!

If you would like to support us, drop by the SXSW Panel Picker and look for "How Did This Happen? I'm In Business!" While you're there, check out "Business Planning Goes Real World," a panel that features our friend Shama Hyder, SOBCon Speaker David Bullock and me. The Panel Picker should be open through Friday, August 29.


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Entrepreneur Club interviews me tonight

On the Entrepreneur Club, our friend Patti Serrano interviews a parade of interesting small business people. Patti was kind enough to invite me to join her tonight. We'll be talking about "Succeeding in a Small Town."

If you want to join us, we'll be live tonight, Monday, July 21, 2008, at 9:00pm EDT / 8:00pm CDT / 7:pm MDT. If you miss the live call, you can listen to the recording on TalkShoe. You can also listen to the Entrepreneur Club archive, while you're there.


Call in:

1. Dial: (724) 444-7444
2. Enter: 30914 # (Call ID)
3. Enter: 1 # or your PIN

Join from your computer:

1. Click here to join the call or just listen along
2. (Optional) Become a TalkShoe member

Through Facebook:

You can join this Call directly through the TalkShoe Community Calling Facebook application.


Listen to the Recording:

If you miss the live call or want to hear previous recorded episodes click here.

Thanks, Patti, for the chance to join you!

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The conference with no speakers

What if we held a conference with no speakers?

We could all spend time thinking and planning.

We could choose to talk with someone when it would help, or be quiet and focus, or some of each.

We could spend a day, or two, on the things we just don't get to, otherwise.

We could do all of this away from home, away from distraction, and with each other for company.

Would you join us?

Come help us plan it at the Conference with no Speakers wiki.

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May 1 talk to your neighbors

On Thursday May 1, Barbara K. Baker proposes we revive some real world connecting. Get out and chat with a neighbor.

Maybe even deliver a little May Day basket. Do you remember those little baskets of flowers you would leave on a neighbor's door? Just exactly the kind of thing that used to be a hallmark of small towns, now nearly gone.

Even as we build stronger connections in the online world, we are losing connections in our own physical community. Share some social love with your real world neighbors.

Care to help promote? Twitter it. Change your Facebook or BrightKite status. Blog it. Utterz it. Take a picture and share it in Barbara's May Day Flickr group.

Remember: it’s all about visiting with a neighbor. You're from a small town. You can do that.

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Business school for bloggers and entrepreneurs

If a blog is part (or all) of your business strategy, go to SOBCon '08.

If you want your blog to become part of your business strategy, join me at SOBCon.

If your blog is an important part of your life, relationships, and/or business, ... get thee to SOBCon.

Less than two weeks away! May 2, 3, and 4, 2008, Chicago

What is SOBCon?

OK, it's partly Liz Strauss's doing. She started calling people Successful Outstanding Bloggers. SOBs. Including us Okies. We're SOBs, and proud of it.

When Liz's many readers, followers, and friends decided to get together, of course it was called SOBCon.

And when Liz and Terry Starbucker and others plan the 2008 SOBCon program to be a curriculum on business, you get business school for bloggers.

What's in it for me?

All the fun and socializing of other techie or blogger conferences.

A well-crafted program, designed to teach and involve.

Carefully selected presenters, speaking on their passion and specialty.

Participation in a mastermind group, working together on your plans.

At the end of the weekend, a completed action plan.

Deep networking with a core group of amazing people, like you.

Yes, YOU

Wouldn't you benefit from knowing more about the business and planning of blogging, whether you blog for business or fun, love or money?

Liz explains more in this video, taken by the awesome Jason Falls at SXSW.

OK, How do I register?

Go straight to SOBevent.com and sign up.

Still not sure? Email me, and I'll tell you why I'm going.


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Get out of town

I'm sitting in a kitchen talking with Liz Strauss and Sheila Scarborough and thinking that this is the value of getting out of town.

We just discussed some blogging secrets. (Put your name on your blog!) We're moving on to business models.

So I'm just sayin', get out of town. Go to conferences. Get away with some business-minded friends. Come up with new ideas, take new inspiration, and dream up new opportunities.

And if you don't hear from me for a few days, it's because I'm taking my own advice at SXSW.

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Networking events in reach for small town small biz

Small town entrepreneurs around Charlotte, NC, Miami or Orlando: Our friend Shashi B let us know about some small business networking events organized by Network Solutions in your area.

Network Solutions is organizing a networking events for Small Business in Miami. FL (March 19th), Charlotte, NC (March 25th) & Orlando, FL ( April 9th) We will have Guy Kawasaki several small business experts there to meet, network and get advice.

It will be fun to meet people at these events. I am planning to travel and come there So people-if you live in these towns please register and come. Help me spread the word by blogging this. Registration is free.

Get more details and links to registration at Shashi's blog.

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Business school for blogging

I'm going to a business school for blogging, SOBCon08.

This year’s event tracks entrepreneur bloggers and corporate bloggers alike, with an innovative format and a stellar cast of speaker/instructors.

Purpose
The SOBCon08 program guarantees to send each attendee home with a Business Action Plan that can be immediately executed for measurable success. The “mastermind” teams in which attendees will be interacting will provide uniquely deep working relationships that are more meaningful than the business card trading found at other conference/networking events.

Attendees
Seating is limited to 250 sold seats, plus guests.

Logistics
SOBCon08 will once again be held in the Chicago area from May 2-4, 2008.

Cost
$450 for all three days

So if you aren't going to SXSW, this is your second chance to meet with me at a conference. Plus, if you visit the SOBCon08 site following a link here, you are voting for me in a contest to win a free registration and a couple of hotel nights!

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Small Business Summit in NYC

On February 11 our friend Ramon Ray is co-producing the Third Annual Small Business Summit 2008 in New York City. (OK, that's not very small town, but, hey, you New Englanders might want to make the trip.)

He expects 400 attendees, up from 330 people last year and 40 exhibitors. Speakers include small business owners, small business experts and executives from small business service providers such as Dell and Network Solutions. Sponsors include Google, Intuit, the US Postal service and many others.

Browsing the agenda, I'm excited to see some of our friends presenting sessions:

• Anita Campbell, Small Business Trends, leading a panel on From the Trenches: Reinvention Case Studies
  
• Laura Allen, 15SecondPitch, on How to Pitch Your Business in 15 Seconds

Sessions include:

• Marketing in a Digital World: How Technology and New Media are Changing the Game
  
• How to Transform Your Business in 40 Minutes
• What You Need Now to Succeed
• Technology is Not the Answer
• Bounce! The Path to True Business Confidence

What’s at the all day Summit? Fun. Information. Breakfast. Networking. Lunch. Exhibits. Awesome Raffles. Prizes (2 computers and more). Panels. Your Questions.

Ramon sent me a special link, where you can get tickets for $69 before Feb 1. Regular tickets are $99 before Feb 1 and $149 after that. If you want that special deal, email me at becky at small biz survival dot com.

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